Vacant job

Job Description

The next major leap in battery development is expected to be lithium solid-state batteries (SSB). This concept enables the flammable organic electrolyte in lithium-ion batteries to be replaced by a safer and more compact solid electrolyte. Within the framework of the Swedish state battery initiative COMPEL, which aims to support competence and excellence in battery research and education for the transport sector, KTH is pooling resources with a coordinated initiative on composite-SSBs. This includes seven postdoctoral positions from various disciplines, focusing on different aspects along the battery value chain, from synthesis and cell manufacturing to characterization, modeling, and scaled production.

The two-year postdoctoral project Machine Learning-Based State Estimation and Control of Electrochemical and Mechanical Processes in Solid-State Batteries will be conducted at the Department of Automatic Control, EECS. The project focuses on developing reduced-order models for coupled electrochemical and mechanical processes, state estimation methods, and predictive control strategies for solid-state batteries based on data from parallel postdoctoral projects within the initiative.

The research aims to increase the understanding of how operating conditions, such as charging protocols, temperature, and mechanical load, affect battery performance, degradation, and lifespan. The work combines physics-based modeling with machine learning for parameter estimation, degradation prediction, and analysis of electrochemical measurement data and structural characterization. This includes reconstruction and segmentation of X-ray CT data as well as quantitative microstructure analysis. The long-term goal is to enable state-aware battery management and optimized charging strategies.

Qualifications

Requirements

• A completed PhD degree or a foreign degree assessed as equivalent to a PhD in automatic control, electrical engineering, technical physics, applied mathematics, or a closely related field. This eligibility requirement must be met no later than the time the employment decision is made.
• Good proficiency in written and spoken English, as this is required in daily work.
• Strong theoretical background in modeling of dynamic systems, state estimation, control, and optimization, as well as good knowledge of machine learning.
• Awareness of diversity and equal treatment issues, with a particular focus on gender equality.

Merits

• At the last day of application, no more than three years have passed since the PhD degree (or equivalent foreign degree) was awarded.
• Experience with solid-state batteries as well as modeling, state estimation, or control of electrochemical systems.
• Demonstrate innovative thinking, creativity, and the ability to work independently.
• Good teamwork skills and interest in working in a team.

We will place great emphasis on personal qualities.

Join KTH

KTH shapes the future through education, research, and innovation. As a leading international technical university, we play an active role in driving and contributing to the transition to a sustainable society. Here, you are offered the opportunity to grow and develop in a creative and dynamic workplace with good working conditions and benefits. Gender equality, diversity, and equal opportunities are quality issues and a clear part of KTH's values as a university and public authority.

Read more about our benefits and what it is like to work and develop at KTH.

Union Representatives

Contact details for union representatives.

Application

You apply via KTH's recruitment system. As an applicant, you are primarily responsible for ensuring your application is complete when submitted.

The application should include:

• CV including relevant professional experience and knowledge.
• Copies of degree certificates and transcripts from previous university studies. Translations to English or Swedish if the original documents are not issued in any Western European language.
• A brief statement on why you wish to conduct research, your academic interests, and how they relate to your previous studies and future goals. Max 1 page long.
• Contact details for reference persons or recommendation letters.

The application must be received by KTH no later than midnight on the last day of application, CET/CEST (Central European Time/Central European Summer Time).

About the Position

The employment is permanent, but for a maximum duration of two years.

A postdoctoral position is a time-limited merit-based appointment with a primary focus on research, intended as a first career step after doctoral graduation.

Other Information

For information on the processing of personal data in connection with recruitment.

It may occur that a position at KTH is placed in a security class. If this applies to this specific position, a security clearance check will be conducted on the applicant in accordance with the Security Protection Act (2018:585) with consent. In these cases, a prerequisite for employment is that the applicant is approved after the security clearance check.

We decline direct contact with staffing and recruitment agencies as well as sellers of job advertisements.